by Nanette Masi
Invited to submit an entry for the Container Garden Invitational Display at the 2011 Boston Flower & Garden show, ELA put out a call to members for designs. A committee selected Nanette Masi’s native habitat garden design to represent ELA. ELA wants to thank Cavicchio Greenhouse for the loan of pots for the container garden and to express great appreciation to Van Berkum Nursery for donated plant material, forcing blooms, and expert advice.
Black Swallowtail on parsley
When I began designing wildlife habitats, little did I know that the graceful black butterfly, with its delicate long black “tails” and bright blanket stitch of yellow, blue, and red, first hatches from its egg disguised as bird poop. It may be rather ugly, but the larva certainly has effective camouflage. No self-respecting bird is likely to eat its own poop. So, safely under cover, the Black Swallowtail larva begins munching one of its favorite dinner leaves: a beautiful native, Golden Alexanders (Zizia aurea), and a member of the carrot family. Mother butterfly planned ahead for this moment, laying her eggs on a plant that provides the perfect diet for her fussy offspring. [click to continue…]
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